The present invention relates to an electrical connector to be connected to a flat conductive member.
Flexible printed circuit boards (FPC) and flat cables are known as flat conductive members. The flat conductive member is often connected to an electrical connector (connector) mounted on a circuit board. One of the conventional connectors connected to the flat conductive member, for example, is disclosed in a Japanese Patent Publication.
Patent Reference Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-109083
The conventional electrical connector (connector) disclosed in Patent Reference includes a housing with an opening having a horizontally long shape at a front side thereof as seen in a direction that the flat cable is inserted. The opening extends in the inserting direction of the flat cable and forms a hollow portion for receiving the flat cable. The hollow portion includes a protruding portion formed on a bottom surface at a far end portion thereof. The protruding portion is situated at a position corresponding to an edge of the flat cable in a width direction thereof. The protruding portion engages a cut portion formed in a side edge of the flat cable when the flat cable is inserted and settled at a given position.
An inner surface of an upper wall of the hollow portion includes a tapered surface at the edge in the width direction of the opening. An inclination of the tapered surface is reduced toward the far end portion of the hollow portion.
When the flat cable is inserted, the flat cable is deformed into a concaved shape at a front end portion thereof by pinching with fingers. Then, the front end portion of the flat cable is inserted into the hollow portion so as to follow the inner surface of the upper wall of the opening. Since the inclination at the either end of the inner surface of the upper wall is reduced toward the far end, the flat cable deforms from the concaved shape to a flat shape as the flat cable is inserted further. Thereby, the cut portion can engage with the protruding portion from an upper side after the cut portion moves over the protruding portion.
In the conventional connector described above, problems about a downsizing thereof and easiness of an operation thereof still remain. For example, though the upper wall of the hollow portion formed in the housing includes the tapered surface on the inner surface of the upper wall at the either end in the width direction, an upper portion of the housing remains over the tapered surface with a certain level of a thickness. As a result, it is difficult to downsize the housing in a height direction.
Further, the flat cable has to be pinched by fingers so that the flat cable can deform into the concaved shape. In addition, the concaved shape has to fit to a shape of the inner surface of the upper wall. As described above, it is difficult to operate the conventional connector.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector to be connected to a flat conductive member, capable of downsizing in a height direction as well as being easy to operate.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.